1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to methods of heating the surface of various materials, including floors, walls, roofs, countertops, and antenna dishes. Specifically, the invention relates to methods of heating the surface of a material by applying a heater element, such as a laminated composite heater element, to the particular surface and energizing the heater element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of heater elements exist in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,886, to Kraus et al., discloses an electrically conductive web composed of a non-woven sheet of conductive fibers and non-conductive fibers. The sheet is saturated with a dispersion containing conductive particles and is then dried. The Kraus et al. heater element is used primarily in heating pads.
International Application No. PCT/US94/13504 (Publication No. WO95/15670) discloses an electrically conductive composite heating assembly. The assembly has an electrically conductive non-woven fiber layer laminated between layers of fiberglass and other dielectric material. The assembly further has an abrasion resistant outer layer. The heater element is used on aerospace structures as an ice protection system to withstand the repeated mechanical stress and thermal cycles encountered in extremely harsh aerospace environments.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,696 to Hastings et al. discloses an integrally bonded laminate that is used to thermally control a surface of an aircraft to which the laminate is bonded.
None of the prior art heater elements, however, have been successfully applied to heat the surface of a floor, wall, roof, countertop, or an antenna dish.